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  • Call for regional push towards renewable energy

    Call for regional push towards renewable energy

    Against a backdrop of skyrocketing global oil prices fueled by ongoing conflict in the Middle East, a top Cayman Islands official has issued a urgent call for Caribbean countries to abandon their long-standing reliance on expensive imported fossil fuels and pivot toward the region’s abundant untapped renewable energy resources.

    Cayman Islands Finance and Economic Development Minister Rolston Anglin, who also holds the education and training portfolio, delivered the call Tuesday during the opening ceremony of the Organization of Caribbean Utility Regulators (OOCUR) 2026 Conference, which is being hosted this year at Jamaica’s Ocean Coral Spring Resort in Trelawny. The conference, running through May 1 under the theme “Navigating Caribbean Regulatory Challenges: Opportunities, Innovations and Collaborations,” brings together regional policymakers and energy regulators to address pressing sectoral challenges.

    Anglin pointed out that Caribbean nations have depended on imported fossil fuels for generations, leaving household budgets and national economies extremely vulnerable to every swing in global commodity prices. “This dependence is a vulnerability we have accepted as permanent. It is not,” he told attendees, highlighting that the region is naturally endowed with high-potential renewable resources—from abundant sunlight and steady winds to geothermal energy—that have yet to be developed at a large scale.

    Beyond environmental benefits, Anglin framed the shift to renewables as a critical economic and national security priority for the region. “The raw materials for transformation are here. What is required now is the regulatory architecture to unlock investment, protect consumers, ensure grid stability, and attract the partnerships needed to move from ambition to reality,” he said, adding that regional energy regulators hold consequential leverage to drive this transition.

    Speaking on behalf of Jamaican Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness, Minister without Portfolio Andrew Wheatley, who oversees science, technology and special projects, outlined Jamaica’s ongoing progress in building out alternative energy capacity. To accelerate the shift away from fossil fuels, Jamaica has cut import taxes on electric vehicles to boost adoption of clean mobility, and is scaling up solar photovoltaic systems paired with battery storage as a core renewable energy strategy.

    Wheatley noted that private investment in residential and commercial solar systems has grown in Jamaica, driven by both cost-saving incentives and rising public awareness of climate change risks. He echoed Anglin’s assessment that persistent heavy dependence on imported fossil fuels has left Caribbean nations with some of the world’s highest electricity prices, squeezing both household finances and business competitiveness. He also reiterated a longstanding regional point: while Caribbean countries contribute a tiny fraction of global greenhouse gas emissions, they bear the brunt of climate change impacts, most notably through increasingly powerful and destructive hurricane seasons.

    Anglin emphasized that cross-border and cross-stakeholder collaboration is the foundation of successful regional energy transition. He called on fellow regional government leaders across all jurisdictions represented at the conference to strengthen partnerships with independent energy regulatory bodies, incorporate their on-the-ground expertise into policy design, and provide these institutions with the funding, clear mandates, and political backing they need to operate effectively.

    Organizations such as OOCUR, he added, offer an invaluable platform for cross-border knowledge sharing that regional policymakers should actively leverage to accelerate progress. Anglin also highlighted a critical gap holding back the transition: many regional governments, including his own in the Cayman Islands, have not yet recognized the full economic value of well-resourced, technically skilled independent energy regulators. Underfunding or sidelining these institutions, he warned, slows broad national development and prevents the region from unlocking the full economic and environmental potential of its renewable energy endowments.

  • LETTER: The UPP is Losing. Here’s How You Know.

    LETTER: The UPP is Losing. Here’s How You Know.

    As the general election campaign in Antigua & Barbuda enters its final stretch, a sharp critique has emerged targeting the main opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) over its strategic choice to host its closing campaign rally in the constituency of All Saints East & St Luke. Critics of the opposition argue that this decision reveals quiet anxiety about the UPP’s electoral prospects, pointing to a basic rule of campaign tactics that does not align with the party’s claims of being on track for an election win.

    For an opposition party seeking to unseat a sitting government, the core electoral math is straightforward: incumbents hold the advantage of governing power, so challengers must defend every seat they currently hold while actively targeting competitive constituencies held by the ruling Antigua & Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP). If the UPP truly was positioned for a national victory, strategists would have already secured their long-held safest seat, All Saints East & St Luke, and shifted the closing rally to a marginal ABLP-held constituency to maximize momentum and swing undecided voters, the critique argues. Holding the finale in the UPP’s strongest historically safe seat, rather than playing offense to gain new ground, is framed as a clear defensive move that signals the opposition expects poor results on election day.

    This reasoning has prompted a direct question to voters across Antigua & Barbuda, from All Saints East & St Luke to St Philip South, St. Mary’s South and every other constituency nationwide. If the UPP is already showing clear signs of heading toward defeat, critics ask, why would constituents cast their ballots for a UPP candidate? Voters are reminded that a member of parliament sitting in opposition for the next five years will be limited in their ability to deliver tangible infrastructure, social services and development projects for their district, reduced only to constant criticism rather than tangible action. Instead, the argument pushes voters to back a candidate that will sit in the governing majority, who can be held directly accountable for delivering on campaign promises and advancing local needs.

    As voters prepare to cast their ballots in the upcoming election, the debate over the UPP’s rally location has become a talking point that frames the opposition’s entire campaign as on the back foot, with critics urging voters to avoid aligning with what they frame as a guaranteed losing team.

  • Antigua and Barbuda Government Plans Thousands More Affordable Homes in Housing Programme Expansion

    Antigua and Barbuda Government Plans Thousands More Affordable Homes in Housing Programme Expansion

    Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne has announced a major expansion of the country’s flagship national housing initiative, revealing plans to add as many as 3,000 new residential units over the administration’s upcoming term. The commitment builds on the progress the current government has already delivered through a layered strategy of direct state construction and targeted financial subsidy programmes, which have collectively supported the creation of more than 4,000 homes to date. Breaking down the existing delivery, Browne explained that the state-run National Housing development body has completed more than 1,500 units on its own. When combined with developments delivered through the CHAPA housing scheme, the government’s direct construction output surpasses 2,000 completed homes. Adding in residential projects that received financial support through the CABI subsidy programme pushes the total number of homes built or assisted by the current administration over the 4,000 mark, according to the prime minister. Browne framed the ongoing housing drive as a core pillar of the government’s wider policy agenda, which centers on expanding rates of home ownership across all demographic groups and lifting national living standards. For the next phase of the programme, the administration is set to scale up construction activity dramatically, with a target range of between 2,000 and 3,000 additional new homes. “We expect to do at least maybe 2,000, 3,000 homes,” Browne confirmed. To keep the expanded construction pipeline moving quickly and meet ambitious output targets, Browne confirmed the government will bring in additional construction workers from the Dominican Republic to boost workforce capacity and shorten project timelines. Beyond simply easing current housing supply shortages, the prime minister emphasized that expanding accessible home ownership is a strategic investment in the country’s long-term economic stability. The core mission of the initiative, he added, remains rooted in advancing public well-being. “At the end of the day, it’s about improving the living standards of the people,” Browne said.

  • API says referring Gonsalves as PM a ‘genuine error with malicious intent’

    API says referring Gonsalves as PM a ‘genuine error with malicious intent’

    Five months after a historic general election shifted power in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the country’s official government communications agency is facing growing public and political scrutiny over an embarrassing mislabeling mistake in a public press invitation.

    The error dates back to April 28, 2026, when the Agency for Public Information (API), the body mandated with disseminating accurate official information on behalf of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines government, distributed an unsigned media alert at 9 a.m. local time. The invitation incorrectly stated that the upcoming press conference would be hosted by Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, identifying him as the incumbent prime minister. Gonsalves, who led the Unity Labour Party (ULP) and held the prime minister’s office for 24 years starting in 2001, was removed from office following the November 27, 2025 general election, where Godwin Friday’s New Democratic Party (NDP) secured a landslide 14-1 majority over the incumbent ULP. Gonsalves was the sole ULP candidate to win his parliamentary seat, and now serves as leader of the parliamentary opposition.

    Just 29 minutes after the first incorrect email was sent, acting API director Nadia Slater issued a second communication, signed with her initials, requesting that media outlets ignore the original invite. Slater corrected the host of the press conference to incumbent Prime Minister Dr. Hon. Godwin Friday, and issued an initial apology for the mistake. However, this correction contained a second, even more controversial error: the apology stated the mix-up was “a genuine error with malicious intent.”

    Only three minutes after the second email was distributed, Slater issued a third correction, which attached the correct official press invitation and retracted the typo-ridden wording from the previous apology. In the final correction, Slater clarified that the original mislabeling was “a genuine error WITHOUT malicious intent.”

    The blunder has drawn unwanted attention to the API, which is tasked with upholding the accuracy of government communications, just months after the new administration took office. The timing of the mistake, coming five full months after the transfer of power, has sparked questions about how the agency could mistakenly misidentify the sitting prime minister, even as Slater has repeatedly stated that the incident was nothing more than an accidental typing error.

  • Bowen says a UPP government would investigate corruption

    Bowen says a UPP government would investigate corruption

    In a recent statement that has shifted the landscape of domestic political discourse, a senior leader of the United Progressive Party (UPP), Bowen, has made a bold campaign pledge that would reshape the government’s accountability framework if his party secures power in the upcoming election. Speaking to a gathering of party supporters and political journalists, Bowen outlined that a UPP-led administration would immediately launch a full-scale, independent investigation into allegations of systemic corruption that have lingered over the incumbent government for months. This commitment comes amid growing public frustration over unaddressed claims of misappropriation of public funds, opaque procurement deals, and unethical influence peddling that have eroded voter trust in the current ruling establishment. Bowen emphasized that the investigation would not be a partisan witch hunt, but a transparent process led by independent legal and auditing experts, designed to uncover the full truth, hold wrongdoers accountable regardless of their political standing, and rebuild public confidence in democratic institutions. The pledge has already galvanized UPP’s base, positioning anti-corruption as the central pillar of the party’s election platform heading into the polls.

  • PM urges Barbadians to ‘be a hero to somebody’ in Heroes Day message

    PM urges Barbadians to ‘be a hero to somebody’ in Heroes Day message

    Barbados came together on April 28 to observe its annual National Heroes Day, a occasion dedicated to honoring the iconic figures who shaped the nation’s trajectory, with Prime Minister Mia Mottley delivering a stirring address that redefined heroism for modern citizens. In her message delivered to both domestic residents and the sprawling Bajan diaspora across the globe, Mottley rejected the common misconception that courage and heroism are reserved only for celebrated public figures, pushing instead for a vision of heroism rooted in daily action and service to others. The commemoration carries a special significance this year, as it marks the birthday of The Right Excellent Sir Grantley Herbert Adams, Barbados’ first Premier, a founding father of both the nation and the Barbados Labour Party. For current public servants, Mottley emphasized that Adams’ enduring legacy serves as a constant reminder that politics’ core purpose must be lifting up marginalized communities, upholding human dignity, expanding access to opportunity, and ensuring every Barbadian sees a place for themselves in the country’s future. Mottley opened her address by extending warm wishes to all Barbadians, at home and abroad, urging the nation to reflect on the sacrifices of the heroes who fought to build the independent, resilient country Barbados is today. During the ceremony, the Prime Minister paid special tribute to the nation’s two living National Heroes, highlighting their unique contributions to elevating Barbados’ global profile. The first, The Right Excellent Sir Garfield Sobers, showcased to the world that Barbadian talent combines grace, discipline, and unmatched skill that sets a global benchmark. The second, Her Excellency The Right Excellent Robyn Rihanna Fenty, has become a beacon for young generations across the island and the globe, proving that creativity, boldness, relentless hard work, and unwavering patriotism can carry a Bajan voice to every corner of the world. Drawing on the examples set by both historical and living national heroes, Mottley reiterated her core thesis: heroism is not measured by fame, formal ceremonies, or public applause. Instead, it lives in the values that guide daily life, the quiet examples people set for others, the burdens that individuals choose to carry on behalf of neighbors and community members, and the hope that is instilled in people who will never have the chance to repay that kindness. Against this backdrop, Mottley issued a straightforward but profound challenge to all Barbadians in 2026: step forward and be a hero to someone. She broke down what that everyday heroism looks like across age groups and communities. For a child, that means being a person they can look up to, modeling how to speak with integrity, work diligently, treat others with respect, and bounce back from failure. For a young person navigating an uncertain world, everyday heroism means proving that decency remains a strength, honesty still matters, discipline still yields meaningful rewards, and kindness is never a sign of weakness. For an elderly neighbor, heroism can be as simple as a phone call, an in-person visit, a warm meal, a helping hand, or just the quiet comfort of knowing they have not been abandoned or forgotten by their community. Mottley framed the concept of a hero simply: a hero is anyone who acts as a positive role model for at least one other person. It is a person whose core values, consistent virtues, and intentional choices give others a blueprint for how to live well. A hero inspires those around them to stand taller, work harder, live more purposefully, dream bigger, and deepen their love for their home country of Barbados. Echoing the words of the Barbadian National Anthem, which calls on citizens to be “Firm craftsmen of our fate,” Mottley noted that this is not just a lyric to be sung on ceremonial occasions—it is a binding duty that all citizens must live out every day. She closed her address by urging every Barbadian to commit to one small act of service: lift up one person whose life can be strengthened, encourage one young person who needs support, right one wrong that has been overlooked, and complete one act of service that leaves their home, school, workplace, house of worship, or community better than they found it. The national heroes honored today built the foundation of the modern Barbados that current citizens enjoy. Mottley left the nation with a closing question: what kind of Barbados will today’s citizens leave for the generations that come after them? Closing out the address, the Prime Minister wished all Barbados a happy National Heroes Day, repeating her core call to action: “Let each of us be a hero to someone.” (Issued by the Prime Minister’s Office)

  • Pierre: 1,000-dollar grant was ‘never meant to be enough’

    Pierre: 1,000-dollar grant was ‘never meant to be enough’

    St. Lucian Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre has pushed back against widespread public and social media criticism of a new family-focused policy unveiled during his recent annual Budget address, pushing to correct misinformation that has overshadowed the full scope of the government’s planned support package.

    During the three-hour Budget policy speech last week, Pierre announced a core policy measure: a one-time EC$1,000 grant that will be disbursed to eligible first-time mothers with registered newborn children, set to take effect on August 1, 2026. In the days following the address, the single grant announcement dominated public discourse, drawing critical commentary on social media and in local community discussions that framed the policy as a misguided attempt to incentivize higher birth rates.

    Speaking at a pre-Cabinet press briefing held on Monday, Pierre addressed the swirling controversy head-on, noting that critics had fixated on the grant while entirely overlooking a suite of complementary, far-reaching family support policies included in the Budget plan. “It’s one of the policy proposals for mothers of registered newborn babies who will receive a one-time grant of one thousand dollars… but there are some below it that everybody seems not to have seen,” he told reporters.

    Beyond the one-time grant, the Prime Minister outlined, the government’s full plan begins with a comprehensive review of national parental leave regulations following childbirth, designed to update existing provisions to better meet the needs of modern families. That policy overhual will be followed by a review of the island’s Affiliation Maintenance Act, alongside an expansion of the national school feeding programme that will deliver enhanced nutritional support to students across the country. Pierre argued that these context-setting measures had been erased from public conversation, replaced by superficial, politically motivated criticism.

    The Prime Minister also pushed back against claims that the grant program is intended to encourage higher birth rates to address the island’s well-documented low fertility rate and stagnating population growth. He emphasized that while population growth is a widely acknowledged concern for the small island nation, the government is seeking a thoughtful, responsible public conversation about the issue rather than pushing hasty, poorly targeted policies.

    “Whether we like it or not, there are concerns about population growth in this island, that’s a fact and what we ask for is a mature conversation by the country, a responsible discussion,” Pierre said. He dismissed claims that the grant amounts to a government payout to incentivize having children as political mischief, stressing that the policy’s core purpose is far more targeted.

    “People like to make political mischief when they talk about the government will give you a thousand dollars to make children, that is really not true, it was never true, and the buildup to it shows that it is not true,” he added.

    The Prime Minister clarified that the EC$1,000 grant is only intended to cover the initial costs associated with welcoming a new child, a burden that disproportionately impacts low-income and unemployed first-time mothers. Raising a child carries significant financial costs from birth, he noted, and the grant is a limited initial support measure — not a comprehensive solution, nor a reward for having children.

    “Babies are expensive, so the thousand-dollar grant is just an incentive to help people with their initial expenses; it is not a reward, nor is it a payment, nor is it something we give you, because the government wants you to make children. It is far from enough, it was never meant to be enough, nor was it meant to be any situation where the government is giving you an incentive to make babies, what it is, it is support for mothers, especially low-income or unemployed mothers,” Pierre explained.

    To round out the government’s broader family policy push, Pierre added that the grant will be paired with two additional support measures: expanded government assistance for parents with children enrolled in early childhood education facilities, and new financial incentives for private sector businesses that offer on-site or subsidized child care facilities for their employees.

  • Guyana minister raps CARICOM nations for accommodating Venezuela’s President with Essequibo brooch

    Guyana minister raps CARICOM nations for accommodating Venezuela’s President with Essequibo brooch

    A simmering territorial dispute between Guyana and Venezuela has erupted into a full-blown diplomatic controversy across the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), after Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez appeared in official meetings with multiple Caribbean leaders wearing a brooch that displays Venezuela’s map claiming Guyana’s resource-rich Essequibo Region as Venezuelan territory. The incident has sparked sharp criticism from a senior Guyanese official, internal political pushback within Guyana, and calls for regional accountability just weeks before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) hears formal arguments on the decades-long dispute.

    In a blunt, public statement shared via Facebook late Monday, Guyana’s Minister of Local Government Priya Manickchand slammed CARICOM leaders who hosted Rodriguez and allowed the provocative display to go unchallenged during official engagements. Just hours before Manickchand’s post, Rodriguez had appeared alongside Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley at official events in Bridgetown while wearing the map brooch, which explicitly lays claim to the 159,000-square-kilometer Essequibo Region that makes up roughly two-thirds of Guyana’s total territory. This was not an isolated incident: earlier in April 2026, Rodriguez wore an identical brooch during meetings with Grenada Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell.

    Manickchand questioned the integrity of alliances between Guyana and other CARICOM members, noting that the territorial dispute is currently under active adjudication at the ICJ. “CARICOM leaders claiming to be our friends and benefitting from that friendship even as they entertain their other friends who are completely disrespecting Guyana by openly claiming two-thirds of my country and sporting that claim on a visible piece of jewellery has me questioning our friendships and the principles of these CARICOM leaders,” she wrote. The long-serving cabinet minister emphasized that commitments to sovereignty and territorial integrity should not be set aside for political convenience, adding “Principle is principle. It shouldn’t be cowardly. And it shouldn’t be convenient.”

    The criticism quickly sparked a domestic political backlash within Guyana. Beverly Alert, an executive member of the opposition Alliance For Change (AFC) and a former parliamentarian, hit back at Manickchand, accusing the Guyanese government of applying a double standard to questions of principle. Alert argued that the government itself abandoned principle when it terminated the country’s Cuban Medical Brigade programme, a move that came after the United States threatened to revoke visas for Guyanese officials and their immediate families over unsubstantiated claims that Cuban medical workers were exploited by the Cuban government. “Principle is principle and should have applied when the decision was made to send home Cuban doctors. Cuba has been a long time and staunch friend to Guyana,” Alert noted. Guyana was one of several CARICOM nations that ended the popular medical programme under U.S. pressure.

    To date, the Guyanese government has not released an official public statement on the controversy, which has been labeled “brooch gate” by regional political commentators. However, key private sector groups with close ties to the Guyanese administration have publicly condemned Rodriguez’s action and called for regional pushback. The Private Sector Commission (PSC), Guyana’s leading private sector umbrella organization, did not name Grenada in its statement but explicitly called on Barbados, CARICOM, and the broader international community to denounce the provocative move.

    “We call on the Government of Barbados, a valued CARICOM partner and long-standing friend of Guyana to stand firmly in defence of Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Further, we call on CARICOM and all regional and international partners to remain vigilant and unequivocal in their support for the rule of law. Silence or inaction in the face of such deliberate provocation risks emboldening further escalation,” the PSC said.

    The controversy comes at a critical juncture for the territorial dispute. Next month, the ICJ will hold multiple days of public hearings where both Guyana and Venezuela will present the full merits of their arguments over the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Tribunal Award, which originally granted Essequibo to Guyana. The ICJ is expected to issue a final ruling on the case, which was brought to the court by Guyana, in the first quarter of 2027.

    While CARICOM as a bloc has repeatedly formally affirmed Guyana’s sovereignty over the Essequibo Region, many small CARICOM island states have maintained close bilateral ties with successive Venezuelan governments led by Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro. These relations have been supported by decades of concessionary oil pricing and other forms of economic assistance from Caracas, creating a split in regional commitments that has been laid bare by the brooch controversy.

  • WATCH: PM Browne Hopeful Partial U.S. Visa Restrictions Will Be Dropped After June Review

    WATCH: PM Browne Hopeful Partial U.S. Visa Restrictions Will Be Dropped After June Review

    Diplomatic talks between the government of Antigua and Barbuda and the United States Department of State are ongoing, with Prime Minister Gaston Browne expressing cautious optimism that Washington will lift the partial visa restrictions currently imposed on the nation’s citizens when the policy comes up for its scheduled review this June.

    In a recent televised interview with ABS Television, Browne revealed that high-level discussions with senior U.S. officials – including Deputy Secretary of State Landau – have centered entirely on resolving the visa restriction dispute. The prime minister stressed that his administration’s core goal is to see the policy expire without renewal, allowing the two countries to return to their pre-restriction visa arrangement for Antigua and Barbuda travelers.

    A key point of contention from the Antiguan and Barbudan side is that the restrictions were put in place based on what Browne calls a fundamentally false claim. The U.S. allegedly justified the limits by arguing that the country’s popular citizenship-by-investment program fails to require residency for program participants, an assertion Browne flatly denies.

    Browne went on to outline that Antigua and Barbuda has upheld rigorous compliance protocols for its investment immigration program for more than 10 years, including aligning all applicant screening processes directly with U.S. sanctions lists and automatically rejecting applications from individuals linked to sanctioned jurisdictions. “We have a sanction-list-only programme that moves in tandem with the United States,” Browne explained, emphasizing the nation’s long-standing commitment to meeting international security standards.

    The prime minister also shared that even some senior State Department officials have privately acknowledged misgivings about how the restriction was originally implemented. “We would have spoken to members in the State Department … and they regretted that such action was taken based on a false premise,” Browne said.

    Reaffirming his government’s clean record, Browne emphasized that neither he nor any member of his administration have engaged in activity that would warrant the imposition of visa restrictions. He stressed that Antigua and Barbuda has remained “totally compliant” with all relevant international norms and agreements. Moving forward, the nation will continue sustained diplomatic engagement with U.S. officials to secure a full, permanent reversal of the partial visa restrictions.

  • Contract signed for Balthazar Bridge Reconstruction and Soubise Coastal Protection

    Contract signed for Balthazar Bridge Reconstruction and Soubise Coastal Protection

    The Caribbean island nation of Grenada has officially entered a new delivery phase for its flagship disaster resilience infrastructure initiative, with the government inking three civil works contracts worth a combined total of EC$36.25 million to upgrade key at-risk assets. The formal signing ceremony, hosted at the Ministry of Infrastructure’s conference room, paves the way for on-the-ground construction work to launch within the next few months, bringing long-awaited flood and storm protection to vulnerable communities in the St Andrew region.

    The contracted works fall under Component 1 of the national Grenada Resilience Improvement Project (GRIP), an overarching program designed to reinforce critical public infrastructure across the country against extreme weather and natural disasters. Two of the project’s three lots focus on coastal protection infrastructure along the Soubise coastline, while the third covers full reconstruction of the Balthazar Bridge, a key transportation link for the area.

    Breaking down the awarded contracts, General Earth Movers Limited (GEML), a local Grenadian construction firm, secured two of the three tenders. The company will lead the EC$20.7 million reconstruction of the Balthazar Bridge, and also take on the EC$4.34 million first phase of Soubise coastal protection works. The second phase of Soubise’s coastal protection upgrades, which includes installation of rock and step revetments to stem coastal erosion, has been awarded to Construction & Industrial Equipment Limited (CIE) for a contract value of EC$11.21 million.

    Alva Browne, Grenada’s Permanent Secretary for Infrastructure, signed the agreements on behalf of the Government of Grenada, with senior leadership representatives from GEML and CIE signing on behalf of their respective companies. The ceremony was attended by multiple high-ranking government officials, including Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell, who also serves as the country’s Minister for Infrastructure. Other dignitaries in attendance included Delma Thomas, Minister for Youth and Sports, Minister for Mental Health, Wellness and Religious Affairs, and Parliamentary Representative for St Andrew NorthWest, as well as David Andrew, Minister of Education and caretaker parliamentarian for St Andrew SouthEast.

    In his remarks at the signing, Prime Minister Mitchell emphasized the critical public safety and economic importance of the GRIP initiative, noting that stronger disaster-resilient infrastructure will protect Grenadian communities from the growing impacts of climate change and extreme weather events. He also recognized the collaborative efforts of the Ministry of Mobilisation, Implementation and Transformation, the Ministry of Infrastructure, and the GRIP internal project management team for advancing the initiative from planning to the contract award and execution phase.

    All contracted civil works are scheduled for completion within 13 months of the official signing date, meaning upgraded infrastructure is expected to be fully operational by mid-2027 if construction proceeds on schedule. The GRIP project is part of Grenada’s broader national strategy to build long-term climate resilience across its transport and coastal infrastructure sectors, as small island developing states continue to face disproportionate risks from climate-driven sea level rise and extreme storm activity.